It starts up top, with Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill staying in front of the Washington Wizards All-Star. It ends with Roy Hibbert, the Pacers' 7-2 defensive monolith, clogging the path to the basket. Play after play, game after game, Wall has been sucked into the trap.

The Pacers enter Tuesday's Game 5 (7 p.m. ET, TNT) on the brink of a return trip to the Eastern Conference finals after taking a 3-1 lead on the Wizards with three consecutive victories. Wall enters it on the heels of another disappointing performance, this time with the added pressure of his veteran backup picking apart the Pacers in Game 4 Sunday.

"It's very difficult and frustrating at times, but you just play the game and take what goes," Wall said. "What's frustrating is, my midrange jump shot, I haven't been able to knock it down. That's what I've been getting."

The midrange jumper is the Pacers' bait. They want Wall to try to beat them from the perimeter, altering their approach and having fewer players crash the offensive boards in an effort to keep Wall from beating them on transition.

Wall was 4-for-11 for 12 points, seven assists and five turnovers in Sunday's 95-92 Game 4 loss. His four baskets came on a three-pointer, two layups and a floater in the lane. He went 1-for-5 from the field in the second half and often found a faceful of defenders when he did slip past Hill.

"It's a process," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "He's just got to stay aggressive. He can't worry about anything else because that's who he is. That's who he's been since he's been in this league. He's been a guy who's extremely confident, extremely aggressive. And that's who he's got to be and who he's got to stay."

The Wizards were minus 22 with Wall on the court. With 38-year-old backup Andre Miller, the Wizards were plus 18 in 16 minutes. Miller's post-up offensive management worked against the Pacers' strategy.

By the fourth quarter, the Verizon Center fans were united in chanting Miller's name as he shot free throws. But Wall came in soon after — "Andre gave us what he could and was low on gas, and it was time for (Wall) to close the deal," Wittman said — and the Wizards coughed up the lead late.

"We were able to execute in the halfcourt set with Andre," said Wizards big man Drew Gooden, who was part of the veteran reserve unit that spurred the Wizards on Sunday.

But Gooden is uncertain of the sustainability of that approach. "I don't want to be in a halfcourt set with the Pacers," he said. "They have the right name for this series, the Pacers. You don't want to get in a halfcourt set with them."

Game 2 in Indianapolis -- Pacers 86, Wizards 82: Indiana forward David West (21) and Washington forward Nene (42) fight for position on the block during the first half.
Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports

That may not be avoidable. In addition to running back on transition defense, the Pacers have used Hill and backup C.J. Watson more aggressively on offense, forcing Wall to defend and breaking his habit of running back himself.

Between that and the physical and funneling defense, Wall doesn't get the open court he thrives in.

"We're just trying to put two and three people in front of him," Watson said. "Make him see bodies, so he doesn't go one-on-one and get the and-ones."

Wall knows the Pacers play Miller with a completely different defensive alignment. There's not much he can take from his counterpart's success.

He also knows the Wizards' season relies on his success. He signed a five-year maximum-level contract extension before the season. He's the only player on the roster to have made an All-Star team. He averaged 19.3 points and 8.8 assists a game in the regular season, numbers that have dipped to 11.5 and 7.5 this series, when he's shooting 31.4%.

Wittman was clear when asked whether he considered bringing Miller back at the end Sunday: "John's going to close out games," the coach said. "That's part of his growing up."

Wall calls himself "the head of the snake." But he also knows playing blind won't work. He's trying to work his way out of the funnel, starting with shooting himself out of the funk.

"Never lost confidence," Wall said. "If I did, I wouldn't be shooting it still. I've still got my confidence; it's just not going into the basket. That's the most frustrating thing."

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Coming up on the 20th anniversary of Pacers guard Reggie Miller choking the Knicks in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, this seems like a good time to discuss the importance of great shooters in the playoffs. USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph ranks the 10 best in the second round.
Paul Bereswill, AP file

10. Trevor Ariza, Washington Wizards: Ariza has taken a strange path to here, having the best season of his career on a team he's often seen as a secondary member of. But his shooting, along with his defense and toughness, has been an enormous part of Washington's success, and he shot a team best 40.7% on threes and went 13-for-28 in Round 1.
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

9. Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets: Often derided in the past for his overzealousness, the seven-time All-Star took smarter threes and developed a knack for hitting the biggest ones. He shot 40.1% from three this season, the second-best showing of his career.
Anthony Gruppuso, USA TODAY Sports

7. Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs: He has the best regular-season three-point percentage (.430) of anyone still alive and won the three-point contest at the All-Star break. So why so low? He's fallen in and out of favor with coach Gregg Popovich during a streaky second half.
Derick Hingle, USA TODAY Sports

6. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers: The stocky shooting guard went undrafted in 2009 but made the NBA because he can shoot and defend. He's taken that to the maximum in the past few years and took a career-high 511 threes last season, making 39.3%.
Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

5. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards: He came in hailed as the next Ray Allen, drafted third overall in 2012. He's delivered so far, hitting 40.2% of his threes while showing off an uncanny natural stroke, particularly when receiving passes from John Wall.
Brad Mills Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

4. Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs: He can be a game-changer for the best team in the Western Conference, as he was throughout last season's playoffs. The former Development Leaguer has become a starter, making 41.5% of his threes this season, because of his shooting range and defensive ability.
Soobum Im Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

3. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers: Did you see his shot against the Rockets? That's it right there. Lillard, who made 39.4% of his threes in the regular season, not only shoots remarkably well off the dribble and off the catch but also has a penchant for difficult crunch-time bombs.
Craig Mitchelldyer, USA TODAY Sports

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: The presumed NBA MVP also ranks among the league's best shooters. Durant made 39.1% of this threes this season but often took those heavily guarded. His ability to hit an open shot means the 25-year-old could be an effective player late in his 30s.
Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports

1. Ray Allen, Miami Heat: Think Game 6. His three-pointer in last year's Finals allowed the Heat to stave off elimination. He's the most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history, and even despite dipping to 37.5% on threes this year, his teammates always will trust him.
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports